 Easily the greatest dSLR for a serious enthusiast |
| Review Date: August 29, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Teapot Tales, Brooklyn, NY U.S.A. |
This camera may be about the best choice for a super-zoom sufferer who is finally ready to give up on limited optics and tiny point-and-shoot sensors and wants to explore what a real digital camera can do. If you do not feel like spending thousands of $$$ on your dSLR setup, then this camera is a great choice. You might just want to buy a more flexible lens, such as Sigma 18-200mm for Pentax (or anything similar according to your preference and budget) as the kit lenses are not as multifunctional as this Sigma. You might want to buy just the body and then choose your optics.
I think that the 4 AA battery power source is a great choice and a money-saver, but you have to buy good quality batteries (lithium or NiMH) in order to avoid any disappointment that is inevitable when you try to use cheap Alkalines in a high-drain device such as a full-featured digital camera. I use NiMH batteries from respectable manufacturers (Sanyo, MAHA, Lenmar) and they work just fine.
My Pentax K-x went through spontaneous photo shoots, low-light long distance photo shoots, a vacation in a mountainous wilderness and I do not see any negative impact upon its performance or looks. Just make sure that you use the proper lens wiping sheets with Methanol to clean the lenses and filters. Do use a good UV filter at all times to keep the lenses our of trouble. Make sure that you change your lens in a clean environment or at least, do it quickly and use a body cap in the process.
Most importantly, though, once you get your K-x, download and install the latest Firmware update. Doing so can make your photo shooting experience somewhat better. |
Great first DSLR
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| Review Date: August 18, 2010 |
| Reviewer: J. B. Leners, Austin, TX |
| I bought this camera as my first DSLR. I chose Pentax because I had an old Pentax SLR with some lenses, but am happy with my choice despite not entering the Nikon vs. Canon feud. |
Great First DSLR or Back-Up
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| Review Date: August 18, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Adam J. Brown, Adam |
I recently picked up photography. My first camera was a little Casio Exlim point-and-shoot that I bought for school projects. I soon found myself taking pictures of non-school related subjects. From there, I bought a Lumix ZS3 point and shoot, which had better image quality and a few more manual settings. Then I stepped it up to the Lumix FZ35, which had all of the basic manual controls, and decent image quality as well; however it lacked the image quality that I've been seeking. What does this have to do with the Pentax K-X? Well, if you have followed a similar path in photography, perhaps the points that I convey will be of use to you knowing the context from which they come from.
I looked, and looked, and looked for a reasonably priced DSLR; I researched at nauseam comparing specs and sample pictures. I found 4 highly regarded DSLR's within my price range. The Pentax K-X, Nikon D5000, Canon T1i, and Olympus E620. I'll be brief and spare you the details. The Olympus was the least impressive, with the most impressive feature being it's articulated LCD screen. Image quality was just okay. The Canon appeared to produce the better image of the four, but only just. However the Canon struggles in low-light; I'm a fan of low light, so I checked the Canon off of my list (It was also the most expensive of the four, by $150 or so.). That left me with the Pentax and Nikon...image quality was most important to me, followed by specification, then features. Both the Nikon and Pentax use a similar sensor...however, the Nikon's images tend to be softer, as opposed to the Pentax which produces sharper and more true-to-color images. Both perform well in low light conditions, however the Pentax maintains greater details, as the Nikon's image softens as light decreases. In my research, the Pentax's performance in low light conditions was often compared to high-end DSLRs in performance.
Video was not a must for me, but a convenient feature, and both the Nikon and Pentax have HD video. Really, the only significant feature that Nikon has over the Pentax...an articulated screen. However, a feature that Pentax has over Nikon are lenses, and the convenience of being able to mount the Pentax K-X with just about every lens that Pentax has ever made (At a somewhat affordable price too!). I was sold on the Pentax, so I bought the camera. Here's a good old fashioned pros and cons list.
PROS
image quality
low light shooting performance
comes with a pretty good kit lens
HD video
some cool digital filters including color extract and fish eye
HDR capture (Although, not quite as good when produced through software...still, a fun feature.)
fast AF through the view finder
quick and easy manual controls
compact yet feels like a serious piece of equipment
any Pentax lens can be mounted
very affordable
AF/MF switch...helps when the AF struggles to focus on your subject, whether because of the lighting or composition
fires at 4.7 frames per second!
30 seconds to 1/6000 of a second shutter speed
F stop down to 40
CONS
live view AF takes about 2-3 seconds
menu takes some getting used to (not a big deal)
HD video is adequate but not great
image quality is good, but it's not a big jump from some higher end compacts (like my Lumix FZ35)
Overall, this is a good first DSLR camera, and even a pretty good back-up, I would think, for more serious photographers. If you want a nice package at a nice price, you can't do any better than this Pentax. |
Pentax K-x Digital SLR - Using non-auto focus Vivitar lenses
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| Review Date: August 1, 2010 |
| Reviewer: MSUBully, |
I'm still learning how to use this camera. I had an old Super-program Pentax 35mm, moved to digital point-n-shoot, now the K-x. I have used my new K-x for landscapes only and have been on two trips so far. I think the resolution and clarity is very good, and the features and options are fantistic! Also, it works well with old Vivitar 28-85 and 70-210 lenses, just don't have autofocus. There seems to be a very slight problem with auto-exposure settings made by the camera, but the problem could be the operator, me. However, I learned long ago to bracket all important shots, so I still have some great photos. (BTW, I'm not using it, but what the heck is sensitivity priority? Manual doesn't explain it very well.) I have not used the Pentax 18-85 lens that came with the camera much, but it will only go as low as 4.5, so I'll just use it for point-and-shoot applications and movies to take advantage of the auto-focus. I think it's worth the extra $50 on the price vs. the body-only price.
The viewing screen is great, but hard to see in bright sunlight. It makes reviewing the pictures difficult in some situations. However, the viewfinder is blocked when you take movies, so I'm going to get a hood to go over my head and the camera (pretty retro.), or a big hat to shade the viewfinder when making movies outdoors. BTW, the quality of the movies is amazing.
A great camera at a great price! I am very satisfied. |
Pentax K-x
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| Review Date: July 30, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Gary, |
| I bought this as a back up for the K-7. I shoot wildlife only. I know nothing about any other photography. But i find myself reaching for this sometimes. It is really an excellent camera for the price. I also want to comment on the excellent sensor in the camera. It is better than my K-7 at hight ISO settings. Which is very important to me. Very good product for the price. |
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